1. Field
The present invention relates generally to the field of automotive dealership management systems and methods thereto, commonly known as dealership management systems, or DMS.
2. Description of the Related Art
Typically, when a vehicle repair shop needs to purchase automotive parts, it orders the parts from a local dealership of the automobile manufacturer. For example, if the repair shop is repairing a Toyota vehicle, it typically orders the automotive parts from the local Toyota dealership. The repair shop typically has a wholesale account with the local automotive dealership relating to the purchase of automotive parts. The local automotive dealership usually has a computer system tracking basic transaction, billing, and inventory information. This computer system is commonly known as a dealership management system, or DMS.
However, the current DMS technology fails to provide sophisticated analysis tools that can track and analyze transaction, billing, and inventory information to provide valuable sales performance data that an automotive dealership can use to improve its sales of automotive parts. The current DMS technology also fails to provide the analyzed sales performance data as comprehensive reports that enable a local dealership to quickly understand its sales performance and make informed business decisions accordingly. The current DMS technology also does not allow the analyzed sales performance data to be sent automatically as a report on a pre-determined frequency. The current DMS technology also fails to provide analyzed salesperson performance data that an automotive dealership can use to improve the performance of its salesperson relating to the sales of automotive parts.
The ability for a dealership to automatically receive analyzed sales performance data and salesperson performance data in a comprehensive report on a pre-determined frequency is particularly useful for managing the customer relationship between a dealership and an automotive parts-buying customer. Typically, the automotive parts-buying customer is a vehicle repair shop who orders many different vehicle parts on a regular basis. An average vehicle repair shop services many different brands of vehicles. Therefore, an average vehicle repair shop may use thousands of different automotive parts. However, an average vehicle repair shop may not have the resources to utilize sophisticated analysis tools to keep track of its order trends and inventory. Therefore, the vehicle repair shop usually orders the parts on an as-needed basis. As a result, the repair shop may lose valuable time and business waiting for the arrival of the parts when ordered on an as-needed basis.
The dealership can alleviate this problem with tracking and automatic reporting of sales performance data relating to an account. Thus, the dealership can determine the order trends of a vehicle repair shop, and suggests to the repair shop that it is due for various parts. The dealership can further provide wholesale discounts on such orders. Moreover, by selling more automotive parts in one transaction, the dealership lowers the number of deliveries, and thus, lowers the overall cost of delivery.
Moreover, given the high number of different automotive parts, there is a need to reduce the shipment of wrong vehicle parts with by tracking and automatically reporting the return rate of an account. Original Equipment Manufacturer (“OEM”) refers to the manufacturer of the original automotive part. In the automotive industry, automotive parts generally fall into three categories: OEM, Original Equipment Service Parts (“OES”), and non-OEM. OEM is a replacement part made by the manufacturer of the original automotive part. OES is a replacement automotive part made by the same manufacturer or supplier of the original equipment manufacturer part but is not manufactured to the same specification as the OEM automotive part. Non-OEM can be an aftermarket automotive part, a recycled automotive part, or a remanufactured automotive part.
There is also a need for tracking and automatically reporting business development data relating to a prospective or an actual customer of automotive parts.
In light of the foregoing, there is a need for improved methods and systems for optimizing the customer relationship between an automotive parts-buying customer and a dealership by tracking and analyzing transaction data relating to the sales of automotive parts as well as business development activities corresponding to an actual or a potential customer of automotive parts, and automatically generating and sending comprehensive reports thereof at a pre-determined frequency.